Wildfire
by Padme4000
Summary: Jennifer Collins one of the passengers of the Hunter Gratzner. My take of Pitch Black with a few twists and some original facts like 60 years instead of 22 read and you will understand what i mean. :Completed:
1. Prologue

I don't own Riddick or anything to do with Riddick and I don't own wolverine's claws and the metal around the bones. But I do own my character Jennifer.

Romance: Riddick/OC slight John/OC

_Thoughts_

_**Animal part of the mind speaking in the mind**_

--------------------------------------- Wildfire -----------------------------------------------

_They say most of your brain shuts down in cryosleep. All but the primitive side... the animal side. No wonder I'm still awake. _

_When I came on board people looked at me strangely especially the merc. Maybe it's because in some way or another I remind him of his payday Riddick. Riddick was the person who caught my eye because I could smell he had animal instinct like me. When I looked closer my animal side was attracted to him and my normal side as well but not for the reasons my animal said._

**_You can smell his power, his animal instincts and you can see he is well muscled body admit it you want him._**

_Okay I admit he is gorgeous and different._

_**You are different as well.**_

_Yes I know but it doesn't mean I'm attracted to people who are different._

_**But you are because you are afraid people will think you are a freak if they are not different as well.**_

_Fine you're right now can you just leave me alone!_

Jen became more aware what was happening around her when her animal side shut up. The ship was descending really quickly until came in contact with the ground and the back part of the cabin broke off. After a minute the ship came to a stop and Jen came flying out of her cabin to fall in front of none other than Riddick. She looked up to see him smiling at her before going down a corridor. She just stayed lying there watching the corridor he left down before she was pulled up off the ground.

She came face to face with the merc who just smiled then said "Did you see the way Riddick went?"

Jen just shook her head to say 'No'. He held slightly tighter on to her shoulders.

"Are you sure?" She nodded her head then he let go of her shoulders and head off down the same corridor Riddick went through.

Jen just stood there for a second before following.

Johns searches for his pistol. Behind him, two chained feet lower behind Johns -- and then attack, swinging over Johns' head... getting the chain on his neck...twisting hard, using the chain as a choke-collar. Johns flicks open a baton, swings it up at... Riddick. Still in body chains and mouth-bit. Clinging to a ceiling for support. Riding out the baton blows. Seconds from blacking out, Johns strains forward...forward...and finally breaks Riddick's grip on the support. He keeps hold of the chained feet so that... Riddick SLAMS HEADFIRST into the deck. Johns lays the baton on his neck. "One chance and you blew it, Riddick. Never cease to disappoint me."

Jen came to where Johns and Riddick were when Johns lifts his baton to hit Riddick again. She runs up to him grabs his arm and makes him drop the baton. Johns looks at her fiercely then she says "He has suffered enough. He is caught there is no need to hurt him anymore." She looks from Johns to Riddick then back to Johns and then release his arm.

Johns turns to her and says wile getting really close in her personal space "I decide if he has suffered enough or not you got it."

She shoves him away walks off but turns and says "Yeah I got it. But Johns remember this you get in my personal space again and you won't live to see the next day again." She looked him in the eye then down at Riddick and smiled at him and left.

John raised his baton and knocked Riddick out then attached him to a bulkhead.


	2. Escape just to be captured again

I don't own Riddick or anything to do with Riddick and I don't own wolverine's claws and the metal around the bones. But I do own my character Jennifer. 

------------------------------------------------- Wildfire -----------------------------------------------

Riddick, with his hands cuffed behind him and around a bulkhead, he can't get near it. Or can he? Near the ceiling, the bulkhead is fractured -- a slim spot where maybe chains could pass through.

Riddick stands. With a GRUESOME POPPING, he dislocates both shoulders...carries his arms overhead...passes the chains through the broken spot...and brings his arms down in front of him. A body-flex POPS HIS SHOULDERS back into joint. Free, he reaches for the cutting torch, but it's picked up by Jen.

He looks at her with an 'give me it and you live look'.

She looks at him then gives it him and says "I advise you not to take your goggles of outside there's three suns." With that she started walking away when Riddick shoved her against the wall. She shudders at the de ja-vu but Riddick grins thinking he's the reason but he only caused de ja-vu.

"I'm warning you now, you don't want to get in my personal space as people who have done that before ended up dead." Riddick could tell she was telling the truth and it made his animal side growl.

_**Admit it you like him in your personal space.**_

_No I don't it reminds me of that day four years ago and the hell if I let that happen again._

_**It didn't happen then it won't happen now. Unless you forgot you are your own built weapon.**_

_I know that's why I have never been caught because I am the murder weapon and the people who see me end up dead._

_**That's just the way I like it.**_

_I'll agree with the death part I mean you are apart of me and I you._

_**I'm proud of that but I would be prouder if you showed Riddick exactly how strong you are.**_

Jen smiles and cracks her knuckles then kicks him away and says "Leave now and I won't tell them where you went but that means in order for them to trust me you have to punch me." Riddick didn't hesitate and punched her hard which caused her to fall to the floor, and before she collapsed she saw Riddick smile then walk off.

_Way too much de ja-vu._

_**Wake up, wake up, wake up NOW.**_

Jen bolted up and instantly regretted it. She notices the kid Jack and he walks up to her and kneels down next to her and says "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just a bit of headache. So, what happened?"

"They found you unconscious and went after Riddick."

"Well they could have waited. Because what better to find an animal than another animal."

Jack looks at her weird and says "Animal? He's human."

"Yeah but so am I." **_Stop lying. _**"Me and him have an animal instinct so what's to stop people from callings us animals."

"Animal instincts?"

"The one that tells you to go for the sweet spot; just to the left of the spine, fourth lumbar down. The abdominal aorta."

Jack helped her get up then Jen did the unexpected she went out of the ship just to end up seeing none other than Riddick sitting down where Paris sat before. She smiled before going back in to witness a few minutes later a man being shot by Zeke.

"It was just somebody else. From the crash. He was just..."

"Crikey. I thought it was him. I thought it was Riddick."

_I wish I could scare people into doing the killing for me but that would mean I would have to reveal myself._

_**Well you could.**_

_No!_

_**You want to kill and feel the coppery blood on your hands again and on your blades.**_

_I will not kill these people especially not the kids and Fry._

**_Damn those kids. Kids are the one thing you will never kill and that is a weakness. Weakness leads to death._**

_Well that makes me human then doesn't it end of discussion._

Jen looks around then notices she was out of it again; she hears more gunshots and runs to them at the same time as Shazza. She sees the blood and sees Riddick and grins but then realizes when she looks closer at the whole there's something in there worse than her and Riddick.

Riddick gets up and runs. He lopes through the spires, running from the scene of the crime. He turns a blind corner – and SOMETHING NEARLY BLOWS HIS HEAD OFF at close range. He hits ground. A boot steps on his neck, keeping him there. Johns.

Sucking on their breathers, Fry and the Chrislams make it back to the ship. They find Johns beating Riddick like a chained dog.

"...I don't play that...I don't play that so just try again. C'mon, Riddick, tell me a better lie..."

"Ease up, ease up. JOHNS! Just tell me what..." She hauls him off -- only to have Shazza start punching Riddick.

"What'd you do with 'im? You bloody sick animal you, what'dja do with me Zeke?"

She kicks him and knocks him out. Jen comes then and shoves Shazza away and says "He did nothing, he's good but he's not that good."

"He did it end of discussion."

Johns is about to Drag Riddick but Jen pushes him away and puts Riddick's arm around her shoulder and takes him to the ship where he is secured.

Jen sits in a dark corner where she can't be seen by anyone except Riddick. She has her goggles off staring at Riddick through her eyes not goggles.

_Looks better without my goggles, nice muscles and body, damn them for hurting him like that._

_**Now you agree with me?**_

_I agree I like him and a part of me wants him but I can't unless I want to be shunned by the rest of the People on this planet._

_**Well he's an animal he will notice you like him by your scent.**_

_Well if he likes me let him come. I go to no one._

_**That will be changing very soon because you want him.**_

_Ok end of conversation._

Jen opened her eyes to notice Riddick was awake. _Great now I get to see if he has good senses. _Just then Riddick looked at her and smiled which grew when their eyes locked. He looked away and closed his eyes when Fry entered. "So where is he?" He looks at her but still doesn't open his eyes.

"Tell me about the sounds. You told them you heard something right before..." no response "If you don't talk to me, Johns'll take another crack at it -- at your skull."

"You mean the whispers?"

"What whispers?"

"The ones telling me to go for the sweet spot just to the left of the spine. Fourth lumbar down. The abdominal aorta. It's a metallic taste, human blood. Copperish. If you cut it with peppermint schnapps, that goes…"

"Do you want to shock me with the truth now?"

"All you people are so scared of me. Most days, I take that as a compliment. But it ain't me you got to worry about now."

"Show me your eyes." He sits with his lids shut tight, anticipating the pain.

"You'd have to come a lot closer for that." She steps closer. "Closer."

Imagine a virgin undressing in front of someone for the first time. That's how Riddick opens his eyes, startling her: No irises, just huge black-pool pupils. And from deep within, a jewel-like eyeshine. His eyes are as beautiful and unsettling as those of a starved jaguar.

She jumps back when he gets up to show her his eyes. Then Jack comes in the room notices his eyes and says "Where the hell can I get eyes like that?"

"Gotta kill a few people."

"Okay. I can do it."

"Then you gotta get sent to a slam where they say you'll never see daylight again. You dig up a doctor and you pay him menthol Kools... to do a surgical shine job on your eyeballs."

"So you can see who's sneaking up on you in the dark?"

"Exactly." Both him and Jen say but she says it quieter.

Fry looks at Jack and says "Leave!"

"Cute kid. Did I kill a few people? Sure. Did I kill Zeke? No. You got the wrong killer."

"Then where is he? He's not in the hole. We looked."

"Look deeper."

Fry turns and leaved then Riddick looks at Jen who step out of the shadows and steps in front of him. "Shame you didn't kill him I wanted to learn from the best."

He smiles "Nice eyes." She blushes and turns to go but he says "Don't usually say this but thanks heard what you did."

She turns back to him steps slightly closer and then says "Your welcome. But I wasn't going to let John's drag you and make you hurt more than you were. For some reason the animal in me doesn't like to see you hurt." _Did I just say that shit._

Riddick smiles then closes the distance and catches her lips. She first looks at him shocked before kissing him back. She raps her arms around his neck and deepens the kiss. From the corner of her eye she could see he wanted his arms free. She stopped kissing him and stepped away slightly. He lets go a low growl. "You know I'm a freak. I'm my own weapon I have a metal called alumantium and I have metal claws or blades if that's what you call them come out between my knuckles."

"All of us are a freak one way or another your just the person who shows it's not bad to be a freak."

She nods and walks off putting her goggles back on.

_Wasn't expecting that at all._

_**Now you can take him.**_

_He just said I'm the person who shows its not bad to be a freak._

_**I know I heard it. That was definitely not his animal side, the growl was.**_

_He's a person after all._


	3. The Hole

I don't own Riddick or anything to do with Riddick and I don't own wolverine's claws and the metal around the bones. But I do own my character Jennifer.

- Wildfire -

Jen was walking around the ship for five minutes when she bumped into the blue eyed devil. He caught before she fell and said "You should watch were you're goin. No wonder Riddick managed to punch you." Just at that moment Fry came up to us.

She smiled and then said "Are coming with us to the hole?"

"Yeah I might as well I've got nothing better to do."

_**You sure do know how to lie. Why go to a hole in the ground when you can be with Riddick.**_

_Because there is something in that hole and I want to know what._

_**Brilliant idea you can find it then kill it slowly.**_

Johns smiles then says "Well since your comin' you can go in the hole."

Before Fry could say anything Jen spoke up while grinning "I would love to meet what's worse than the big bad so yeah I'll go in." They both nodded but before they could say anything else Jen walked outside and went to talk to Jack. When she reached Jack he smiled and she smiled back before saying "So… The one that tells you to go for the sweet spot; just to the left of the spine, fourth lumbar down. The abdominal aorta. He said that so does that prove I'm like him."

Jack nods then asks "But you also like him as in like him."

"Kid you know you have great observation skills like I do." She leans forwards and whispers in his ear "Like the fact I know you're a girl and in some way I know why you would pretend to be a boy. So if you need to talk to me about things a boy wouldn't then just talk away."

Jack was gob smacked before saying "Damn you do observe really well. Thanks."

"No problem Jack."

Johns, Imam, Shazza and Fry exit the ship and head towards Jack and Jen. Then Johns says "We're heading out."

They all left then for the hole in the ground. When they came up to it Jen jumped down looked at the hole and prepared her self for the worst.

Then Johns said "I know what happened - he went off on the guy, buried him on the hill somewhere, and now he's trying to…"

"Let's just be sure."

"I am sure. Look, murders aside, Riddick belongs in the Asshole Hall of Fame. He loves the jaw-jackin', loves making you afraid, 'cuz that's all he has. And you're playing right into…"

"We're gonna find the body, Johns. Christ, you're a cop. Why am I tellin' you this? We gotta go down and find it."

"Well then I expect little miss ass down there to get moving."

Jen glared at him before getting into the hole, chained to her web belt, just after she waved off someone handing her a flash light. Once in she pulled her goggles down so they were hanging on her neck. She comes to a chamber of holes and stands up to hear things around her. She releases her claws and looks to another hole and sees a foot non mistakenly Zeke's foot. She heard something behind her so she spins around to see nothing.

_**Fast little buggers.**_

_Shut up before you get me killed._

She then heard another and she was knocked to the ground but managed to hurt whatever it was that did it to her. She went to a hole with light and began to climb but one of the things managed to cut her leg badly so she dug her claws into the wall when she managed to get higher then started shouting "I'm in here, I'm inside."

A few times she shouted this before the wall above her broke and was dragged out and she managed to retract her claws before anyone saw them.

When she was being pulled up Johns said "We got you...it's okay, it's okay...we got you now..."

But she had to close her eyes from the pain of the light and Johns realized then she must have a silver shine job so he out on her goggles for her. She looked at them smiled gratefully and smiled a bit longer at him for putting her goggles on.

Imam then said "The child heard you before any of us could even..."

"Did you find him? You find Zeke?"

Jen looked at them all before saying "...wasn't Riddick...it was...it was... goddamn, that was stupid...but wasn't Riddick. Somethin' else down there that got Zeke and nearly got…" She flies back into the spire. Something's still got the chain. The others grab at flailing limbs. It's a tug-of-war now, human hands on one end, unseen "hands" on the other - and the humans are losing. Until... Imam unsheathes his blade... and slices through Jen's belt.

When Jen is released she falls to the floor and Jack instantly is at her side asking is she alright.

Jen shakes her head and says "No my leg is badly hurt and so is my darn ego."

Johns kneels down then checks her leg and they are both surprised when she doesn't stop him from checking it.

_**Don't even think of liking this fucked up merc one bit.**_

_He's cute, can be nice and he's different._

_**Yeah he isn't a freak.**_

_I like Riddick still doesn't mean I can't look._

_**No it doesn't mean you can't look but he's a merc. Merc and killer don't go together.**_

_Yeah I know so shut up._

When Johns was done he left his a hand a little longer and smiled when she didn't say anything. Jen got up with the help of Johns and then they all go back to the ship. She is still leaning on him for support when he decides to go pay Riddick a visit.


	4. escaped convict, murderer

_**I wonder what Riddick will think when he sees Johns helping you and you accepting it.**_

_I expect nothing less than a bit of anger and maybe some possessiveness in his eyes._

_**You know you can always tell Johns that you want to talk to Jack so therefore you miss the confrontation.**_

_HEHE, my animal side is scared of what Riddick will do you have got to be kidding me._

_**Don't push it. You know Riddick is the best badass ever. I do want to see what he will do but I rather not be on the receiving end when I have an injury.**_

_Fine._

She looks at Johns and notices they are nearly where Riddick is and says "Johns I need to talk to Jack you don't mind do you?"

_I just asked if he didn't mind, am I frackin losing my mind. Its one thing to like someone in my case but to ask permission that is just fracked up._

He must have thought something along the same lines because he came to an abrupt stop nearly causing Jen to fall over but he managed to balance her and said "Why would I mind."

"You know I don't why I said it I just did." _Is it me or is he moving closer to me. _"Maybe it's because I'm losing my mind or at least part of me thinks so. And you don't want to be on the receiving end of that part of me." He stepped closer to her causing her to knock into the wall behind her. _Wow I didn't even notice I had been walking backwards. _Just then Johns put his arms around her waist and brought his lips down on hers. She didn't respond at first but when she did there was a lot of force in it. She wrapped her arms around his neck deepening the kiss. When they stopped for breath shock was written for a second on Johns face but disappeared just as quick as it appeared and then he was smirking.

_**You know if I was solid matter you would be as good as dead now.**_

_Well you're not so deal with it._

He let go of her and walked in the direction of Riddick. She limped to the outside and sat down. She noticed some alcohol next to her so she picked it up and started drinking it.

Paris decides to come out then and says "That's my drink that."

She looks at him stands up leaning against the side of the ship and says "You gonna take it off me."

Paris gulps and says "No but I would appreciate if you asked next time."

"If there is a next time love, I will take it without asking." She looks him dead in the eye and says "You learn that in slam."

He looked shocked and said "You were in a slam."

"Yep escaped it pretty easily as well, they haven't caught me since. I was the reason I ended up in slam they didn't catch me I had to kill someone in there and ended up being locked in with the rest of the killers, the guards didn't recognise me but didn't let me go so I killed them and when I escaped they followed me but never caught me. But I kill them when they get too close and I can see them coming in the dark like Riddick. But I have something he hasn't got weapons that will never be found."

Paris gulped again and literally ran inside probably telling everyone. Sure enough not long after does Johns, Fry, Shazza, Jack, Imam, the three kids and surprisingly Riddick come out. Riddick carrying a power cell, Paris then came out and looked at me with slight fear and disgust.

I could tell he told them and I am so glad. I looked at each of them and said "Some of you may know me as Wildfire escaped convict, murderer others may know me as The Beast. Got the last name because sure enough I'm a freak, I got animal instincts like Riddick and a silver shine job on my eyes. But I also have these." I revealed my claws some had shock on their faces others disbelief and Riddick well he just smiled.

"Just thought you should know since we are stuck here together and to see Johns face." He glared at her and she smiled and said "There is a reason I have never been caught and it's because I have a metal called alumantium around every bone in my body it's also what these babies are made of. Indestructible metal and I'm just too good to catch. Well I suggest that we move on."

They all nodded and we made our way to the skiff. I was walking just next to Riddick and I could tell they didn't like it one bit.

She looked at him and said "So how does it feel to move your arms."

He looked at her more closely and noticed the limp and how she only just managed to stay standing and said "You need help walking."

She looked at him smiled and said "Why you asking?" He nodded to her leg "Yeah the darn buggers in that hole hurt me pretty bad." He didn't say anything just balanced the rope which was dragging the sled with cargo in it on one shoulder and used his other arm to hold her around the waist to help her walking. "Has your animal side ever been angry at you?"

"No why?"

"Its just mine is, well was because I was actually being nice to the blue eyed devil over there. I wish I could burn my lips off right now." He looked at her and she said "I poisoned my lips by letting him kiss me and deepening it just because I needed some stress relief." She made a disgusted face and looked him in the eye well goggle to goggle.

He turned her around and kissed her while no one was looking but she deepened it making it longer. When they did separate and he just held her to keep her balance a bottle of Alcohol was in front of their feet. Riddick picked it up.

Paris looks at him and puts out his hand and says "Paris P. Ogilvie. Antiquities dealer, entrepreneur."

Riddick shaking his hand says "Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict, murderer."

Instead of returning the bottle Riddick opens it and drinks it. Paris walks back to the front of the group pretty fast.

Jen just smiles then leans on Riddick for support again and they all start moving again.


	5. Riddick wannabe

While Riddick and the others went around the place Jen went into the shade and say down, she then let her hair fall down letting its dark red masses blow with the slight amount of wind in the shade.

_**I just realized something you let Johns in your god damn personal space earlier.**_

_Yeah I did now he thinks he can trust me but he doesn't know if I get the chance my claws will dig deep into his abdominal aorta. _

_**I like the way you think, now why the hell are you in the frackin shadows, you are no coward stand up now or I may just have to annoy your ass.**_

_I am sitting in the shadows because I cannot be assed to haul some power cells around._

_**You do realize if you help haul those frackin power cells you will be able to steal that skiff. **_

_Good point._

_**Sometimes you are too much in humanity it kills your brain cells.**_

_Oh and you are intelligent._

_**Who just told you why you should haul those power cells.**_

_This conversation is officially over._

Jen stood up and went out of the shadows she then saw Jack with a shiv so she went towards her and said "I hope you don't intend to kill yourself with that because there is a better use, like ghosting John's maybe."

Jack looked up at her and said "I'm not ghosting myself or anyone I am shaving my head so I can look like Riddick."

Jen laughed and took the shiv and said "Well then let me do the honors."

Jack nodded took her hat off then Jen began to put some stuff on her head then began shaving it.

When she was finished Jen handed Jack one of her goggles but they were broken slightly, Jack took them then put them on her head. Jen nodded approvingly and said "Well Jack all you have to do now is how to learn to be like Riddick, so why don't you follow him. While I go see to the skiff."

Jack nodded then went to find Riddick while Jen went to the skiff. She got there when Fry said "Okay, that should buy us a sys-check. But we'll need more cells."

Johns looks at Fry and says "How many?"

"15 6-gigs here...90 gigs total...other ship carries 20-gig cells, so...five. Five total to launch."

"25 kilos each huh?"

Jen looks at the systems and says "You do know it may not carry all of us, but I believe by the time we get the other cells we all won't be here."

Johns and Fry look at her and Fry says "We all will get off this planet."

Jen looks at her and smiles then says "Well I know how many people you could get on this skiff because I have flown one before." With that Jen left the exact time Shazza entered.

She sees Riddick walking towards the coring room, she looks up and sees Jack and one of the pilgrim boys following Riddick on the roof of the building.

Jen catches up to Riddick when he tries to open the door, she lets one of her claws come out and was about to cut the lock through the gap in the door when Johns came around the corner and said "Missin' the party c'mon."

They both turn and Riddick pulls a sheet off the roof and there are both Jack and pilgrim boy. He then imitates Johns and says "Missin' the party c'mon."

They then go and follow Johns.

_**I am beginning to like that kid Jack.**_

_I already do, she has some guts to make herself look like a lad and she also is a coward for acting like a lad but she's braver than anything._

_**Not as brave as you, because you are going to ghost Johns at the right moment, so we don't have to see his frackin face again.**_

_I totally agree._

When Jen entered the room Imam was saying "...and for this, our gift of drink, we give thanks in the name of our Prophet, Muhammad, peace be upon him, and to our Lord, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and to his father, Allah the Compassionate and the Merciful."

Pilgrims finish pouring cloudy water into goblets. Riddick gets the last of it - the part with sediment.

Paris looked at his water and said "Perhaps we should toast our hosts. Who were these people, anyway? Miners?"

Shazza looks at her the objects on the table then says "Looks like geologists. Advance team, moves around from rock to rock."

Johns nodded then said "Musta crapped out here, huh?"

Jack then said "But why did they leave their ship?"

Silence. It's a question no one has chosen to deal with yet. Imam notices one water glass unspoken for.

Johns looked at Jack then answered her "Well, just a skiff. Disposable, really."

Paris nods and says "Like an emergency life-raft, right?"

Shazza then says "Sure. Coulda had a real drop-ship take them off-planet. Long gone."

Paris then says "A toast to their ghosts, then..." Everyone except Riddick and Jen rise their goblets.

Riddick looks at them and says "Didn't leave, these people. Whatever got Zeke got them. They're all dead."

Everyone's face is like he just pissed in the punchbowl.

Riddick continuing "What, you don't really think they left with their clothes on the lines? Photos on the walls?"

Shazza then says "Maybe they had weight limits, you don't know."

Riddick shakes his head then says "I know you don't uncrate your emergency ship unless there's a fucking emergency."

Jen laughs and says "None of you are going to listen to reality because you're all to frackin scared."

Fry looks at both Riddick and Jen then says "So what happened? Where are they, then?"

Fry is the only one willing to look at reality - or at least glance its way. At the window, Imam scans outside. "Has anyone seen the young one? Ali?"

Riddick looks at Imam and says "Has anyone checked the coring room?"


	6. Less Humanity

Jen was the first one to the coring room and sliced the metal and ran into the room.

_If that kid is dead it will be all my fault I don't have to listen to Johns and I did._

Imam enters the room and calls "Ali?"

A NOISE from the supply room. Is it Ali? Just too scared to come out? Imam opens the door...

And hatchlings pour out.

Moving with a gang-intelligence, they circle the room in a wave, soar high into the rafters -- then plunge into the coring shaft, SQUEALS VANISHING to infinity. Shocked silence, then...

Ali tumbles to the ground. He's been shredded into bloody kite-tails. There was a nest inside the supply room.

Imam falls on him in grief. Johns and Fry inch forward to peer down...

The coring shaft. It's littered with human bones. The skeletons of the settlers. Scattered about and picked clean.

Jen walks to the coring shaft and drops her light init it lights all the way to the bottom, When she looks down she is in the mood for a hunt.

_No one kills kids without having to deal with me._

_**The kids should die more you are now losing humanity every time one of them dies.**_

Jen growls and withdraws a gun and shoots the light which causes it to explode she turns away from the hole when she hears the screeches of the creatures she smiles. When the Chrislams go to do some prayers for Ali Imam seems surprised when Jen comes with them as well as Paris and Jack.

Against a blue sunrise, the Chrislams hold a prayer service. Paris, Jack and Jen attend. Riddick watches from afar.

Shazza questions "Why was the door chained up? Why the bloody hell would they lock themselves in like that?"

Johns then says "Not sure, but tell you what: Chrislams better not be diggin' another grave out there."

Riddick from outside says "Other buildings weren't secure..."

They turn. Riddick enters. And continues.

"..so they ran here. Heaviest doors. Thought they'd be safe inside, but..." looks down shaft "Someone forget to lock the back door."

Shazza joins him at the shaft. Gazing on the human remains "So that's what come of me Zeke. An' you saw it. You was right there." Riddick nods. "You were tryin' to kill him too."

Riddick shrugging, "Just wanted his O-2. Though I notice he tried to ghost my ass.

When he shot up that stranger instead."

Shazza can't deny it. She looks at him differently now, the man she once beat while in chains. She takes off her breather. "Take it."

Riddick suspicious inquires "What, it's broken?"

Shazza answers "Startin' to acclimate, anyhow. Take it."

Riddick accepts it awkwardly, sucks down some pure O2. Johns watches the exchange closely, not much liking the idea of Riddick being promoted to oxygen-breathing human.

Johns says to fry "Let's board this up and get the hell gone. They seem to stick to the dark, so if we stick to daylight, should be all …"

"60 years ago."

"Wha'?"

Coring samples line the room, laid out on counters. Fry's been scrutinizing them.

Fry then says "Core-samples are dated. Last one is 60 years ago. This month."

Shazza then says "Yeah? What's special about that?"

Fry "Dunno. Maybe nothing, but..." But now Fry remembers...

The orrery. The year-counter clicks over to "45" as... Fry opens the drive box and starts turning the main gear, accelerating the orbits.

CLOSE on the counter. "56...57...58...59...60."

They all see it: A giant ringed world eclipses the suns and plunges their planet into darkness. Persistent darkness.

Johns exclaims "Are you fuckin' kidding me?"

Riddick "Not afraid of the dark, are you?"

Jen enters then and says "I'm not but then not everyone can see in the dark."

Johns descends the gangway -- and finds Riddick erecting a field table in the shade of the skiff. He seems out of earshot. Now, anyway. As they trade looks, another flu-like shiver runs through Johns.

Riddick then says "Bad sign. Shakin' like that in this heat."

Johns moves on. The Chrislams appear, shouldering a roll of Vectran (wing-fabric material). They drop it on the table. Ready to cut bindings, Imam pats his hip for the knife that was just there.

Riddick looking after Johns "I'll cut it."

He has the knife.

When he walks away Jen pulls him into a dark room and kisses him, takes him a second to realize what's going on but when he does he deepens the kiss. He then shoves Jen against the wall and pushes his body against hers. He growls when Jen nibbles his neck, Jen then kisses him with more vigor.

When he bites her lip he tastes her blood from her lip and he pushes her harder against the wall and is about to remove her clothes when they both hear Jack shouting for them. When they exit they hear Paris say "You should leave them they would leave us."

When they jump aboard Paris says "We were just looking for you."

Jen cracks her neck and says "You that scared of us that you won't even admit you said you should leave us. I thought before you were a frackin mouse but now you're just a recreant."

Just then Riddick helps Johns onto the sand cat.

While on the ride to the ship Jen looks at Jack and says "When it goes dark stay near me."

Jack looks at me and says "I can look after myself."

Jen then says "Sure you can, but I didn't say you can't. There isn't only a few of those fuckers there are thousands, if those spires are nests."

Jack nods then says "Right I'll stick with you."


	7. Who I am

The sand-cat reaches the crash ship. Bodies leap off. Paris steals a look at...

The rising planet. It threatens to blot out suns, sky, universe.

Johns yanks the first power cell and starts dragging it over the deck. Riddick yanks a second cell and, carrying it on his shoulder, passes Johns with a suck-my-ass grin. Johns shoulders his cell and stumbles after.

Shazza wheels the sand-cat around, getting clearance between it and the ship.

The Chrislams lash a scrap-metal sled to the sand-cat.

Riddick drops the first cell onto the sled, Johns the second. They're racing the eclipse and each other.

As the rings of the planet eclipse the yellow sun.

It's like God just closed a blind: Daylight dims. The change in light brings a GROWING HIGH-PITCHED SOUND.

Fry then commands "Don't stop, don't stop..."

But Paris can't help himself. He squints to see... The spires. THE SOUND seems to come from there.

As the rings eclipse the red sun.

A second darkness sweeps over the survivors. Now they all stop, beholding...

Something pouring from the spire-tops. Backlit by coronal light, it first seems to be smoke or ash -- but soon we realize these are living things, HATCHLINGS SQUEALING IN DELIGHT over their first nightfall.

Johns looks towards the spires and says "Jesus, how many can there..."

They keep coming, filling the sky with thick waves. Mercifully, the hatchlings seem to be moving away. But now one wave cleaves from another -- and does a quick about-face.

Jen was watching the spires the whole time knowing that they would come from there and if any came near enough she would ghost there asses.

Paris says "Just a suggestion, but perhaps we should flee."

Fry then says "Cargo hold, everyone in the cargo hold. lets go, lets go, lets go."

They run. Reach the cargo hold. Turn back to see...

Riddick and Shazza still coming. Hearing the SQUEALING WAVE descending on them...

Riddick and Shazza hit to the dirt. Hatchlings torrent just inches overhead.

Shazza. Horrified. Hard to breathe. Like being underwater.

Riddick. He watches in awe, no more frightened than a kid lying on his back looking up at the stars. Experimenting, he eases a bone-shiv into the hatchlings. Instantly it's whittled

down to nothing. It's like a river of razor blades.

The hatchling keep coming. Shazza whips a panicky look at the cargo hold. Can she make it? Should she even try?

Jack then shouts "Tell her to stay there. Stay down. SHAZZA, JUST STAY DOWN!"

Shazza starts worming toward the cargo hold. Suddenly the hatchings vanish. A beat. Is it safe? Shazza gets to her feet...

Fry shouts "No, no, NO, NO, NO..."

...and the wave is back, enveloping Shazza.

Jen looks at the hatchlings and says "Who knew the buggers can be intelligent if they want to be."

Standing in the mouth of the cargo container, the others get a last glimpse of Shazza as she flies by the doors, caught up in the funnel-cloud of hatchlings. Then she's simply gone.

Still on the ground, Riddick checks left and right like someone about to cross a busy street. Now he gets up, smacks his hands clean, strolls for the hold. Behind him...

A rising GANG-CLICKING.

Jen looks to the spires and remembers that sound from when she was in one of those nests of sorts.

Reaching the cargo hold, Riddick turns around for one last look. PUSH IN as he sheds goggles -- and looks at the world with his jaguar eyes.

RIDDICK'S and Jen's POV: In degraded image, we see the predators – adult hatchlings -- emerge from the spires. They're large, mammalian, hammer-headed. They CLICK with echo-location, sounding out the world they haven't inhabited in 60 years.

Fry looks at them both and asks "What is it? What's happening?"

RIDDICK'S and Jen's POV: The predators launch from the hills, gliding, SOUNDING, searching.

Riddick then says "Like I said. Ain't me you gotta worry about."

The rim of the planet overtakes both suns. The world goes dark.

Vault-like DOORS BOOM CLOSED.

The survivors are locked inside the only secure part of the ship. Somehow they've been reduced to neanderthals huddling in their cave, listening to the howls of the sabertooths.

Jack asks "What if...what if she's still out there... still alive..."

Johns then says "Well, I don't want to jump to conclusions here...but 'member that boneyard? These just might be the fuckers that killed every other living thing on this planet, okay? Chances of Shazza knockin' on that door anytime soon are just about zero

squared."

Fry agreeing "I saw the cut-marks on the bones. Wasn't a natural die-off."

Imam then says "Quiet, please. Everyone."

Imam is listening at the cargo door. The others pile up alongside, ears tuned like radar. CLICKING SWEEPS PAST outside.

Jack whispering "Why do they do that? Make that sound?"

Imam answers "Perhaps the way they see. With sound, reflecting back."

Fry realizing says "Echo-location. That's what it is..."

Now MORE CLICKING -- behind them. Lights whip around to find...

Nothing. Only the door of an open container about halfway down the tunnel-like hold.

A volley of looks. _"How the fuck could one get in here?"_

Jen looked at everyone and smiled then said "You didn't think they were stupid did you. If they could get in all those buildings they sure as hell could get in this scrap metal which has holes."

Jack looked at Jen and agreed "She's right."

Johns looked at Jen and said "And how do you know there are even holes in this scrap metal."

Jen went close to him and said "It doesn't take a frackin rocket scientist to know that Johns." When she stepped back she said "Well are we going to stand here and wait to be killed or do something."

More CLICKING. Johns realizes they expect him to check it out. "I'd rather piss glass."

Riddick looks at him and says "Well, you got the big gauge."

"Wanna rag your fat mouth?"

Jack then says "Maybe it's just their beads again. Imam, are you still …"

"No, no, no, I do not believe…"

Johns then says "C'mon, man, you're drivin' everybody bugfuck with those things. Why don't you just lose the goddamn..."

More CLICKING -- along with the sound of TOPPLING CARGO.

Riddick and Jen then say "Big beads."

Butching up, Johns sucks on his breather and shimmies toward...

The open container. Leading with his shotgun, he FIRES blindly around the door. Something SQUEALS -- then silence. Johns eases his head and a light around the door to spot...

Hatchlings on the ground, blasted into dog food.

Johns then says to the others "Okay. We're okay. Just some small ones

that musta …"

Something WHOOSHES for his head, swinging like a scythe. It catches his shotgun, DISCHARGING IT, giving us...

A flash-image of an adult predator. Up close.

In one thin second, Johns is back with the others. "Very big beads."

Paris then says "Not staying in here another..." He goes for the main-door lever, ready to flee into the night.

Fry lunges for him "Christ, you don't know what's out there!"

Paris then says "I know what's in here!"

Imam then says "Everybody come, this way and we should be safe. Hurry, please..."

Imam shepherds them into a container. The door slams closed. At first, only the sound of MOUTHS SUCKING BREATHERS. Then a **SCRATCHING.**

Johns fumbles with a cutting torch. Gets it burning. Adjusts the gasses to illuminate...

The door. Scythe-like blades are probing joints. Suddenly HEAVY BLOWS drive everyone back.

Riddick then growls to Johns "Can you do sumpin' else with that? 'Sides holding it in my fucking face?"

Taking the hint, Johns starts cutting the common wall between containers. It's a race between the sparks of his cutter and the blades of the predators.

Jen walks over to the door and when one of the blades of the predators comes through the doors she lets her claws come out and slices through it with ease. Everyone except Johns looks at her when they hear the pained screeches.

Then three go blades come through the door and she slices them through as well and says "Nothing can break alumantium and it can brake anything." She walks over to the others when Johns finished cutting.

Jack looked at her and said "What are those?"

Jen looked at her hands and said "These are apart of me, they are the murder weapon never found at crime scene that was caused by me. They are me, they but through anything and I mean anything."

Johns looks at her and says "Wait you're Wildfire."


	8. Forgetful Much

Jen looks at him and says "No time to say yet we better get moving."

He nods reluctantly and they go through the hole he made.

Predators shred into the container right behind them, CLICKING, sweeping, hunting.

SERIES OF SHOTS: Again and again, they burn a new escape hatch just as the predators break into the container being vacated, always entering darkness.

Inside their fifth container now, Johns torches away. Fry and Paris use cargo to block the entrance hole -- then block the cargo with their bodies.

Jen sees Riddick go but doesn't follow she only goes when she senses trouble. When she gets to a corner she takes her goggles off and sees Hasan and Riddick.

Hasan more scared now that the clicking has stopped. Losing his nerve, he bolts.

Riddick then says "No..."

The predators are on him, just blurs in the dark. DEATH-SCREAM.

RIDDICK'S POV: A third predator appears above him.

Making his move, Riddick darts around cargo and heads for the escape hatch as...

Fry's light catches him square in the face. Blinded, Riddick HOWLS and stumbles forward. Fry's light leaps deeper to hit...

The predator right behind him. With a similar reaction, the beast HOWLS and flails back.

HOLD on Fry for a time-stopped moment. What stopped it? Was it really her? Suddenly a SHOTGUN EXPLODES beside her head. Jacked up, Johns is BLASTING shadows.

Fry then says to Johns "Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!"

Johns then says "'Sokay, 'sokay. I killed it."

They give him a look. _"Sure you did."_ Suddenly a CARCASS SLAMS to the floor, sending everyone jumping back in a perfect splash- pattern. _"Christ, he did kill one."_

Fry reclaims her dropped light and beams it on the carcass. Wherever the light strikes it, the flesh chars and steams.

Jen looks at it and says "Well they don't come till its dark so that kind of tells you their weakness."

Fry "There..."

Paris then says** "**Like the light is scalding it."

Fry then says "It hurts them. Light actually hurts them..."

Jen then says "I am sure I just said that."

VULTURE SOUNDS from the two O.S. adolescents, fighting over the scraps of the pilgrim.

Imam looks to the sound and says "Is that...Hasan?"

Riddick nods.

Johns then says "We'll burn a candle for him later. C'mon."

Cargo has been shoved against the door and walls. The survivors gather around Fry's handlight. Jack -- tough little Jack -- has been reduced to a shivering lump of mush.

Fry is saying "...one cutting torch...one handlight here, two more in the cabin...I think two more..."

Paris then says "Spirits. Anything over 45 proof burns well."

Fry looks at him and says "How many bottles?"

"Not sure. Ten?"

Fry then asks him "Those umbrellas, the ones that mist. Would they burn?" reading his face "If you got a receipt?"

"Possibly."

Fry nods and says "Allright. So maybe we'll have enough light."

Johns looks at her and says "Enough for what?" Now she challenges him to be the mind-reader. "Oh, lady. If you're in your right mind, I pray you go insane."

Fry then says to the others "We can stick to the plan. If we get four cells back to the skiff, we're off this rock."

Paris then says "I hate to kill a beautiful theory with an ugly fact, but that sand-cat won't run at night."

Fry nods and says "We'll have to carry the cells...drag them...whatever it takes."

Troubled faces. Is it just our imagination? Or is the light on the floor growing dimmer?

Jack then says "You mean...tonight? With all those things still out there?"

Paris then says "Oh, sure. Why not? Sounds like a hoot."

Johns looks at the light and says "Back it up. How long can this last? Few

minutes? Couple hours?"

No one knows for sure.

Imam then said "I had the impression...from the model... that the two planets were moving as one. That there would be...a lasting darkness."

Johns then said "Those suns gotta come back sometime. And if these animals really are phobic about light, we just sit tight till then."

Fry then said to that "I'm sure that's what someone else said. Locked inside that coring room."

A persuasive thought. Eyes swing back to Jack.

Johns then says "Look, we gotta think about everyone now -- the kid especially. How scared is he gonna be out there?"

Fry looks from Jack to Johns and says "Oh, don't use him like that, for a smoke screen."

Johns looks at her and says "Smoke screen for what?"

"For your own fear."

Johns eyes narrowing "Hey. Why don't you rag your hole for two seconds and let someone else come up with a plan that doesn't involve MASS SUICIDE?"

Two seconds pass.

Fry looks at Johns and says "How much you weigh, Johns?"

"What the hell's it matter?"

"How much?"

"79 kilos."

"Because you're 79 kilos of gutless white meat, and that's why you can't come up with a better plan."

He makes a move for her. Riddick blocks. Johns' shotgun bumps the underside of Riddick's chin.

"Think about that reward, Johns."

Jen then says "Yeah Johns think about the reward."

Johns looks at her and says "Shut up Wildfire."

Fry looks from Johns to Jen and says "That's the second time I have heard that name now are you going to explain it."

Johns sits down and says "Wildfire is a wanted criminal."

Jen laughs and says "Is that all Johns. I am Just as bad as Riddick I am an escaped convict, murderer."

Paris gulps and says "So what you were saying that time was true."

Johns thinks then says "Oh yeah he was pretty scared shitless and told us then you confirmed it."

Jen nods and says "Yep I did its pretty funny that when a person is scared they forget important things like that."


	9. How she got the claws

FRY to Jack says "They're afraid of our light. That means we don't have to be so afraid of them."

Imam then says "And you're certain you can find the way back? Even in the dark?"

FRY looks at Jen and Riddick and says "No, I'm not. But they can."

Jen looks at Fry and nods.

Cargo doors crack open. Mixed for maximum flame, the cutter is pushed outside and swept around. Fry appears behind it.

Moving like hostages, the survivors cross open ground, trying not to heed the PRIMAL SOUNDS beyond their light. Soon they reach...

The main cabin. Blackness inside.

Fry then says "Riddick."

He lifts his goggles.

RIDDICK'S POV: Checking the cabin. Finding a lot of wreckage

but no life. "Looks clear."

Johns shoulders ahead and crawls in first. Just as he stands up inside...

A PREDATOR BUZZSAWS over his head, fleeing the cabin, taking off into the night.

Johns looks at Riddick and says "Fuck me. You said "clear.""

"Said "looks clear.""

"Well, what's it look like now?"

Riddick rechecks and says "Looks clear."

Fry then says "Just get the goddamn lights on..."

They scramble aboard. Riddick TONGUE-CLICKS behind Johns. He isn't amused.

Inside they go different ways to get light. Jen is about to follow Jack when Riddick pulls her into a small empty room shoving her against the wall and starts kissing her with more vigour than before.

She kisses him back and pulls him closer so there bodies are touching. Jen is about to remove his shirt when she hears Jack calling for her.

Riddick then says "Ignore her."

Jen doesn't though and stops Riddick and says "Sorry Riddick I can't ever ignore Jack no matter what."

With that said she goes to Jack and sees a troubled expression on her face. She sits next to her and pulls her into a hug and whispers in her ear "What's up chick?"

Jack then whispers "Aren't those things attracted to blood."

Jen looks at her understanding her before she even gets told and says "Don't worry I will die before they touch you, I am not going to let you die Jack never."

Jack nods then reluctantly begins getting the blue florescent light untangled, Jen then helps her and says "You want to know how I got my claws."

Jack nods and Jen then says "I was about three years older than you (15) and had a lot of money well I wanted to protect myself and my animal side wanted me to be stronger and inconspicuous, so I went to this scientist who wanted a test subject for his new experiment."

Jack looked at her and said "You."

Jen nods and continues "Well I became the test subject and was injected with alumantium but this is meant to kill any normal person but I am not normal I am a Furyan. When the procedure was done the scientist wanted to make me his, big mistake. That night I killed him, it's ironic his whole life he made alumantium adaptable to the body and he was killed by his very creation.

I took his money and went to an inn. After that night I thirsted for blood to flow over my hands again. The next night I was walking in a pitch black alley but it wasn't for me because of my shine job. Well I saw a girl being raped by a guy who later on I found out was a merc, well I killed him and gave the girl most of my money so she could get off that hell hole of a planet. Surprisingly that's where the Hunter Gratzna was headed helium prime, well for about a year I killed mercs that where on the planet and got the name The Beast.

At the age of 16 I was walking through a tunnel and a man came up to me and tried to steal from me and rape me. He shoved me against a wall and held my hands with his on the wall above my head. His fingers went in between mine fingers which gave me an opportunity to get him away from me. Metal claws came out of my hands and sliced through his fingers, he instantly went backwards and I shoved my claws into his heart and then withdrew them and ran to get a transport off the planet. I did not want to be on that planet anymore didn't mean I would never return though.

Two years later I got an assignment to kill a guy who was in a triple max prison, well people heard about people trying to get out of one but never get in.

Single Max is the first level of Maximum Security. On the walls are Security

Turret Guns that keep an eye on the prisoners. If you misbehave, the Turret

Guns will stun you and you will be dragged off to your cell.

Most of the guards here are of the Light Guard variety. The Light Guard are

lightly armored and relatively easy to deal with. But they will quickly call

for backup if the need arises.

You may also encounter the Double Max guards here as well. They are helmeted

and more heavily armored. They are tougher to deal with than their Light

Guard counterparts.

There are also a few Squad Leaders here too. They wear a cap instead of a

helmet. But they are faster and more accurate than the other guards.

You could also run into a Riot Guard while in Single Max. A Riot Guard is a

large mechanoid suit that some of the guards use to guard the prison. They

carry machine guns and will kill you with one swipe of it's massive arms if

they get close enough.

Shame I didn't have to kill anyone to get in I was hoping for some fights on the way in but I didn't get any. Well it seemed the guy I was looking for was in section A 12. I found him relatively easy but he was pretty talented and was a bit of a fucker to kill. In the end I kicked him over and threw my shiv at his neck and it went through his neck and made him stuck to the ground."

Jen looked at Jack and said "But the escape is too much long to say now since you're finished."

Jack looked at her and said "Will I ever get to learn how you got the name Wildfire and how you escaped."

Jen stood up and said "Someday Kid someday."


	10. Jack

Imam chained into the first harness of the drag-sled. Beside him, Johns fumbles with a second harness. Hands help him into the chains. The hands belong to... Riddick. Both men recognize the irony of the prisoner helping his captor into chains.

FRY says to all "Keep the light going. That's all we have to do to live through this. Just keep your light burning."

Riddick loops a handlight over his neck, places it to shine light down his back. A beacon. Jen does the same and attaches one to Jack and says "I have to go upfront with Riddick this will keep you safe. If you need me shout." Jack nods in reply.

Riddick says to Fry "Be runnin' about 10 paces ahead. I want light on my back -- but not in my eyes. And check your cuts. These things know our blood now."

"Riddick...was thinkin' we should make some kind of deal. Just in case, you know,

this actually…"

Riddick shaking head "Had it with deals."

"But I just wanted to say…"

Riddick then says "Nobody's gonna turn a murderer loose. I fuckin' knew better."

It worries Fry. _"If he doesn't expect to go free..."_

Riddick continuing says "Been a long time since anyone's trusted me. That's somethin' right there."

Fry looks at him and says "We can, can't we? Trust you?"

Riddick looks at her and says genuinely "Actually that's what I've been asking' myself."

Riddick running point with Jen, both have goggles off, eyes flashing. Johns and Imam pulling the drag-sled like malamutes, handlights sweeping. Pilgrim kid at the first side- guard position, Fry and Audrey at the second, each position carrying an umbrella torch, FIREBALLS BLAZING; Paris stumbling along at rear-point, sweeping the cutter back and forth, every shadow a threat. They are a train of light.

FRY'S POV: Of the ground. The sand-cat tracks have vanished.

Johns looks at Fry and says "So you noticed too?"

"Riddick. Jen."

The procession grinds to a halt. Everyone sucks hard on breathers as they muster inside the light.

"Where are the sand-cat tracks? Why aren't we still following them?"

Riddick looks at her and says** "**Saw something I didn't like."

"Such as."

"Hard to tell, sometimes...even for me... but looked like a bunch of those big boys chewin' each other's gonads off. Thought we'd swing wide. Okay by you?"

Paris looks over his shoulder. _"We went around what?"_ Nearby

CLICKING breaks up the confrontation.

Fry nods and says "Let's move." to Jack "Just a detour. He'll get us there."

Paris then says "Can we switch?"

Fry looks at him and says "What, switch what?"

"I think I twisted my ankle running backwards like that. And I'm not sure I

can..." off their stares "Okay, that's a lie. I just don't want to be alone back there anymore. If you could just give me a few minutes up front here…"

Johns looks at him and says "She's the pilot, she should stay close to the cells."

Paris then replies "Oh, so I'm disposable?"

Fry then says "I'll switch, I'll switch! Christ, just get this train moving!"

They trundle on, Fry the new tail-gunner.

At side guard, Paris relaxes a bit -- even though the CLICKING never seems far from earshot. A weak FIREBALL SPEWS from his torch. He checks the reservoir. Almost empty. "Light, please, need light here..."

Still moving, Johns and Imam train lights on Paris while he refuels. For a brief moment, Jack strays from the light.

PREDATOR'S POV: Dive-bombing the girl.

A HIGH-VELOCITY CLICKING: It's like an incoming missile. Imam lunges at the last nanosecond...

And flattens Jack to the ground. Scythe blades swing...

CHINKING the harness-chains on Imam's back.

Johns whirls, BLASTS. Light-beams leap around. But the predator is long gone.

Imam trembling "Please...have we been cut? Can someone tell me if..."

He finds his dropped light, thumbs the switch again and again. Broken.

In the confusion, Paris has been left in the dark. Something slashes him from behind. It's like the night has claws. "Oh, sweet Jesus..." The bottle drops. The blood flows. The CLICKING STOPS. "Oh, sweet Jesus, WILL YOU GET ME SOME **LIGHT OVER HERE!"**

Faces whip around. But before their lights can rescue him... Paris is gone, snatched away by a swooping blur.

Light-beams jump fitfully, vainly.

RIDDICK'S POV: Of predators feasting on Paris. Carrying a youngling on its back, a female predator arrives late and can't find a place at the trough. With shocking apathy, it whips the youngling off its back and begins devouring it. Other predators

start in-fighting, killing themselves for food. The he sees a pair of predators, closer, SOUNDING out new prey. He looks to where they are and sees the object of their desire. Jack.

While all that was happening Jen was hugging Jack when she got back up and said "Stick with me from now on your lights broke." Jack nodded.

Fry looks at Jen then Riddick** "**What do you see? Riddick?"

"Hunger. I see 60 years of hunger."

Fry then asks "Bottle-count."

Jack answers "Four fulls, one half. That mean we're halfway there? I hope?"

Good question. They've just been blindly following... The light on Riddick's back since Jen was now walking with Jack keeping her light on both of them.

"Can we pick up the pace?"

Working like a mule, Johns growls to himself. _"If you think you can do better..."_ Abruptly he slaps an arm across Imam's chest,spotting...A sled-track. In front of them.

Fry hears a SHOTGUN RATCHET. She spins to see... Johns out of his chains. Moving forward. Jamming the shotgun into the back of Riddick's neck. "We aren't completely stupid."

Fry "Stay in the light! Everybody! Stay in the fucking…"

Imam "We crossed our own tracks."

Johns "He's running us 'round in circles. Look for yourself. Look!"

FRY "Riddick? What the hell are you…"

"Listen."

Imagine a hundred Geiger-counters next to a truckload of plutonium. That's the SOUND that rides the wind now.

"Canyon ahead. I circled once to buy some time to think."

"Think about what?"

Johns then says "About how to kill us and still get these cells to the skiff. Goddamnit, we're just doin' the heavy lifting for this prick!"

Jen then answers for Riddick "She's bleeding."

Fry looked at Jen then Riddick and said "I'm not bleeding."

Riddick then says "Not you the kid."

Jack then says clinging onto Jen "I didn't want you to leave me there... back at the ship...that's why I didn't say anything..."

Johns then says "Aw, this can't be happening to me..."

Jen then says "She isn't cut."

Johns looks at her and says "Then how the hell can she be…." Johns finally getting it says "You have to be kidding me."

Fry then says "It's not gonna work. We gotta go back."

Johns brays. "Hey, you're the one who got me out here, turned me into a goddamn sled dog. An' now you 'spect me to go back like a whipped dog?"

"I was wrong. I admit it. My bad, okay? Now let's just go back to the ship."

"I dunno. Nice breeze, wide open spaces -- you know, I'm startin' to enjoy myself out

here."

"Are you fucking high again? Just listen to …"

"No, no, you're right, Fry. What's to be afraid of? My life is a steamin' pile of

meaningless toadshit anyhow. So I say mush on! Canyon's only couple hundred

meters, after that we're in Skiff City! So why don't you just butch up, stuff a

cork in that kid, and get…"

Imam then says "She's the captain, we should listen to…"

"Listen to her? Her? When she was willing to sacrifice us all?"

A beat. Eyes turn to Fry. She wants to protest -- but can't.

"What's he talkin' about?"

"During the crash, she…"

**FRY **a warning growl "This does not help us, Johns."

"…she tried to blow the whole fucking passenger cabin, tried to kill us…"

"Just shut up, okay?"

"… tried to kill us in our sleep. Paris had it right -- we are disposable. We're

just walking ghosts to her."

"Would you RAG YOUR STUPID HOLE!"

She rushes him, ready to rip his eyes out. He shunts her aside.

"We're not alive because of her -- we're alive in spite of her."

He swung below the belt -- and connected. Fry's chin quakes, her knees fail. The undertow of events finally pulls her down.

"We cannot go through there..."

"How much you weigh right now, Fry? Huh?"

Imampushing him back says "Fine, fine, you've made your point. Wecan all be so scared as you."

Johns snatches a light away from Imam. "Verdict's in. The light moves forward."

Jen knows Johns is near his end because she knew what he's like he will ask Riddick to ghost Jack he won't and will get something bigger to distract the creatures Johns.


	11. Promises

Jack asks** "**What're they doin' up there?" meaning Johns and Riddick.

Imam then says "Talking about the canyon, I suppose. How to get us through."

Overhearing, Fry looks. It's odd to see Johns and Riddick walking side by side, like equals. Like partners.

Fry then sees Riddick look at Jack and says "Imam. Slow down."

"What?"

"Don't stop, just slow down. Little more space 'tween us and them."

"I would rather we all stay…"

"Do what I say. Please."

As the fight erupts between Johns and Riddick Fry shouts "Bring the light!" She looks at Jack and says "Leave the sled, let's go, go, go!"

Jen looks at Jack and says "Choose kid cause I am not going back there."

Jack nods then says "I am staying with Jen."

Fry looks at Jen and says "She is not going with you."

Jen steps forward with Jack and puts her claws to Fry's neck and says "Stop her."

Fry looks at Jack and sees the determination in her eyes and says "We go with you instead of Riddick."

Jen looks shocked but says "Fine but Jack stays with me."

Fry nods and they set off again but this time with Jen and Jack in the front.

Jen looks to where Riddick is and sighs then carries on.

Jack then says "I thought you would never leave him."

"What do you mean kid?"

"I am not stupid you like Riddick a lot."

Jen laughs and says "That is an understatement, I love him, but I wouldn't leave you so if it means I take you all until Riddick comes back to us then so be it."

Jack smiles and says "I finally have a sister."

Jen looks shocked at that statement but says "And so do I."

Then Riddick appears and says "Leaving me."

Jen smiles and says "I knew you would come back so why not take the lead."

Imam then asks Riddick "Where's Mr.Johns?"

"Which half?"

"You mean…"

Jack then says "Gonna lose everybody out here."

Riddick comes to the front while saying "He died fast. And if we got any choice,

that's the way we should all go out." To Jack he says "Don't you cry for Johns. Don't you dare."

Jen looks at Jack and says "He was a merc Jack didn't give a fuck who dies as long as Riddick was alive. He would even kill one of us if it meant him living."

Jack nods and they all carry on.

Apart of Jen shocked herself it was upset about Johns dying since when did she care about mercs dying.

Riddick looks at Fry and Imam struggling with the sled and say "I'll take the cells you take the light."

Jen then says "I'll keep Jack with me so Imam and Fry have more light and in case one goes out since there's only three bottles left."

Imam then talks to the other kid and gives him his light and says something about him using the bottle.

Jen sits down with Jack and hugs her to herself and says "We will make it out of here Jack and even then I will not leave you."

Jack looks at Jen shocked and says "You will stay with me."

Jen nods and says "I will stay with you till the end kid I like you too much."

Jack smiles and hugs Jen Imam sees this and says to Jen "You shouldn't make false promises."

Jen looks at Imam and says "Its not, only Johns and the rest of you know who the real Wildfire is and I'm hoping you won't say anything."

Fry comes over and says "I won't as long as you keep helpings us like you have been."

Jen nods and says "I will, no one deserves to stay on this planet, no one."

Imam then goes to Riddick blessing him like he did with the rest.

Jen accepted it only because she couldn't assed saying she hated god and didn't want a blessing. But if it meant she could help Jack then she would take as many blessings he gives.

Jen then realizes something her animal side had been extremely quiet.

_You still there._

_**I am apart of you I will never leave. You may be keeping that promise but you are not going to stop killing.**_

_No I'm not._

_**Oh and if it comes down to it take the kid and leave the rest to die except Riddick that is.**_

_Fine._

And then they were off again, but this time with Riddick in the back dragging the cells.

Jen was still with Jack when Riddick shouted "Don't look up. Do not look up." Because of the splattering and him knowing what it is.

More spattering. Fry looks up -- and stumbles when she beholds... A ceiling of predators. At the cusp of light, they dive and weave and dart, slashing each other in a rabid desire to SOUND OUT the humans below. It's like looking into a bucket of angry

eels.

RIDDICK then says "Keep going, keep going, keep going, keep going!"

His voice whips them like the Devil's coxswain. Chastened, Fry keeps her eyes down and speed up.

More blue blood showers down -- followed by entrails dropping out of the sky. Could this be Hell itself?

Imam then begins muttering "So dark the clouds around my way

I cannot see,

But through the darkness I believe

God leadeth me.

I gladly place my hand in His when

all is dim,

And, closing my weary eyes, lean

hard on him..."

Now WHOLE CORPSES ARE CRASHING DOWN around them, victims of in-fighting. Fry and Imam start slaloming through the ghastly mess.

Pilgrim kid passes too close to a corpse: A blade slices his leg, drawing blood. He keeps his mouth shut.

Jen keeps Jack's head facing straight on and helps her run as fast as her.

The passage narrows into a choke-point. Fry sees it first. "Riddick. RIDDICK."

Ahead, a clot of dead predators blocks the canyon.

"What? What is it?"

Jen looks at Jack and says "Don't look down or up, I will guide you." Jack nods.

"It's a fucking staircase! Go over it!"

Steeling themselves, they start climbing.

When they start climbing it Jack slips out of Jens grip and slides down it into the darkness. A creature goes after her but she manages to get under a huge bone that acts like a shield.

Jen and Fry shout "Jack."

While Fry points light at it Jen quickly gets under the cover that Jack is and covers her body with hers just as the cover breaks from the force of the creature. Jen would never admit it but she was scared, she wasn't going to move because that would expose Jack and she was going to keep her promise about her living.


	12. I love you

Just before the predator can get Jen Riddick knocks it out of the way.

The predator rears back its head, ready to bisect Riddick with its skull-blade.

Switchblade fast, Riddick drops a hand...

...yanks his shiv...

...and sweeps it over the belly of the beast. HOWLING, the predator falls, disemboweled.

REACTION SHOTS of Fry and Imam. Stunned.

"Didn't know who he was fuckin' with."

They regroup. Imam's head swivels back and forth: They're oneperson short. "Suleiman!"

Riddick looks at Jen and hands her light which got yanked off her back when Jack slipped. "Keep the girl with you. Keep Going!"

"SULEIMAN!"

"KEEP GOING OR I WILL!"

Suddenly he appears, thrust back into the light by unseen forces. He's still alive -- but shouldn't be. He makes a feeble attempt to grab onto Imam, to anyone, but he's gone again before they can even react, jerked out of the light. Out of existence.

They flail on. And now, finally...finally...

The canyon widens, opening up like some door to Heaven. The WORST SOUNDS fall behind. We can see it in their sweat-sheened faces: The faintest hope that maybe they've survived the Seventh Circle of Hell. But then...

The TORCHES SPIT AND SPUTTER.

Jen laughs quietly and says "How I love the rain."

Caught in a downpour, the survivors slog to a stop. One torch goes out -- and won't relight.

Riddick laughs and looks at Imam then says "So where the hell's God now, huh?" no answer from Imam "I'll tell you where! He's up there**PISSING ON ME!" **

"Riddick? How close?"

Riddick sheds goggles to look ahead. We don't know what he sees -- nor what he's thinking. Jen didn't see either because she was calming Jack down.

"Tell me the settlement is right there! **RIDDICK, PLEASE!"**

"We can't make it."

HOLD on Fry's anguished face, rendered in dying torchlight. Somewhere behind, the AWFUL SOUNDS RETURN.

"Here...hide here..."

He's found a crevice in the canyon wall.

"Inside...inside..."

Jen looks at Riddick and whispers so only he hears "I know what you're up to Riddick."

He looks at her and says "You're coming with me to take these then we come back."

Jen gives him a 'yeah right' look and says "You go I am not leaving Jack."

He nods reluctantly and her Jack, Fry and Imam enter the crevice.

When they're in Riddick covers the hole with a rock.

Jack then asks "Why is he still out there?"

Jen then says "Taking the cells to the skiff then coming back." The she says quietly "I hope."

Then there last goes out, Jack then says "He's not coming back, is he?"

Fry checks Imam's face. "_Did Riddick say anything to you?"_ Imam wags his head. A bleak beat -- before Fry realizes she can see his face.

"There's light in here."

It's a soft glow from above. Imam climbs higher to discover small blue-white lights clinging to rocks. He plucks a few.

"What are they?"

"Larva..."

"Glow worms..."

Fry mind racing "How many bottles we got? Empty ones?"

They then fill three empty bottles with the glowing worms and Fry gets up to go and says to Jen "Look after them till I get back with more light and Riddick."

Jen nods and when Fry's gone lets her claws come out and Jack says "Is now the time to know the rest of the story."

Jen laughs then says "Well I killed the guy like I already told you. I nearly got out when I was caught by one of machine guards. They didn't have me on file but that didn't mean they were going to let me go, so they sent me to their boss the dumb asses.

He was one stupid fucker how he came to be the boss at a triple max prison I will never know, anyway he asked me who I where and I said 'Wildfire your worst nightmare.' He laughed and said 'Who are you?' 'Wildfire and your worst nightmare.' Repeating myself made him so fucking angry I thought I wouldn't have to slice his throat. He came up to me and said 'I don't recognize you.' 'Yeah no shit.' That comment got me a slap across the face, but then that got him all six claws in his chest.

He fell to the floor and I carved into him the name Wildfire, which I did to every guard I killed on my way out and well the name got stuck on them and in the minds who saw the bodies."

Jack looked at Jen and said "That is so cool."

Jen laughed and just then Fry and Riddick moved the rock and Jack said "I knew you would come back all along."

Then they all started going back to the skiff, Jack was with Jen again, they came upon a slope where at the bottom was a pool of water, where the predators began to go to and begin drinking from.

Riddick then tells them to make a chain and when the time is right they runt through a gap and start to climb the slope. Jack slips and falls back dragging Jen with her, Riddick hearing this grabs them both and pushes them up the slope and shouts to all of them "You know the way!"

Jen looks at Riddick one more before they all run to the skiff. Safe in the light of the

headbeams, Fry turns back, panting, waiting.

Waiting.

"Captain..."

He wants her to board the skiff. Fry gives it another beat, eyes sweeping the dark rain. And just when we think it's over for Riddick -- TERRIBLE SCREAMS are heard from both man and predator: There's a helluva fight going on out there. Close out there.

Fry snatches the glow-worms off Imam's neck and Jen grabs Jacks...

And they both plunge into the darkness, homing in on the SOUNDS until...

A blade flashes in their face. They duck and spot...

Riddick. Bloody, muddy, he's down on his knees, still trying to fight off the shadow-beasts that swirl and slash all around him. Around them.

Jen goes to him and says "It's me, it's me, it's me!"

She gets the light around his neck. They see his face clearly -- and see a very human expression there: Fear. Fry and Jen grab his armpits and tries to pull him up.

Fry then says "C'mon, Riddick -- said I'd die for them, not you."

He gets his feet under him. Gripping each other, they start moving, turning like dancers in a macabre waltz, hoping the predators can't fix on Riddick's blood.

"Just 10 steps...keep turning, keep turning...that's right...others're already 'board, waitin' for us right now...five steps...c'mon, almost there, Riddick... almost there...we're almost…"

Something jolts them. ALL CLICKING STOPS.

Searching each other's eyes. Someone just got slashed from behind, slashed bad. But who?

"Not for me..."

In an eyeblink she's gone, ripped from his arms. There was no scream. No cry. No final words. Just...

Blackness.

Jen keeps hold of Riddick and helps him walk, but just before they go she looks in the way Fry was taken.

When they get back Jen helps Riddick to the cockpit and sits down next him in the co-pilot seat.

Jack then joins them and sits on Jens knees.

Riddick then says "Probably okay to talk to me now."

"Not sure where to go. I was just runnin' away when this whole thing started. Where you goin'?" She says both to Jen and Riddick.

They both reply "Not sure. I was just runnin' away when this whole thing..."

Interior smiles. Stars sweep the windscreen as the skiff makes a course-correction. One very bright star comes into view.

"Might interest you..."

Imam moves forward. Seeing, his face lifts. "New Mecca..."

"Think a soul could get lost there? With all those pilgrim-types?"

"It's more a place where souls are found, Mr. Riddick."

As Riddick ponders the possibilities, while putting the skiff on auto-pilot.

The first sun flares out from behind the eclipsing planet. Its light feels cleansing. Renewing. Life-giving.

Both Jack and Imam go out of the cockpit and Jen looks at Riddick and says "I love you Riddick." With that she kisses him passionately, which he deepens when he pulls her onto his lap. Jen presses a button just behind Riddick and the door to the cockpit closes and they finally finish what they began on that planet.


End file.
